• Axarquia
• Virtual EWN

By Eugenia • Published: 30 Jul 2026 • 10:00 • 1 minute read

There are many Spanish delights in traditional cuisine that encourage people to return to the shores of Spain year after year, but one, gazpacho, wins hands down every time. Alfarnatejo is about to prove it once more this Saturday when the village hosts the 24th Fiesta del Gazpacho de los 3 Golpes, a provincial tourist interest event that continues to draw bigger crowds each August.

Plans were recently unveiled for the August 1 bash. Called the cold soup “Andalucia’s summer classic” and praised for Alfarnatejo’s own recipe, handed down through generations, visitors are encouraged to swing by and discover the secrets of Territorio Tejón while tucking into the “three-blow” version, the most typical version from this part of Axarquía.

Mayor Benítez reminded everyone that the fiesta ranks among Malaga province’s most established food celebrations, filling the village on the first weekend of August. Locals keep adding new attractions, he said, and this year a cultural twist joins the gastronomic one. Painter José Luis Puche flies in from New York to be named an adoptive son. A proper salute to Málaga football club and its fans for their LaLiga promotion also features, with the local football pitch being renamed Afición Malaguista, a nearby square taking the club’s name, and a Daniel Miazzo mural being unveiled.

Expert local cooks will prepare roughly 1,200 litres of the soup. Its “three blows” tag refers to the oil, salt, and vinegar mixed in with tomato, onion, pepper, and mint. Some farmhands once poured extra oil over bread after olive or cereal work, turning leftovers into an evening meal. Historians trace similar cold soups back to Roman times, though today’s ingredients arrived after the 16th-century voyages to the Americas.

Full family fun programme

There will be kids’ activities, a giant gazpacho photo opportunity, Tejonera tunnels, and a Tejon fair. There will be lots of prizes and a music school players’ parade at 11am. The Sabor a Malaga market, lavender stalls, and workshops will open an hour later. Institutional speeches at the Arroyos botanical garden at midday include Puche’s adoptive-son honour and the opening of his exhibition upstairs in the town hall. Women ceramicists receive a tribute next; their bowls remain the fiesta’s calling card. A 3D Alfar y Natejo monument will be unveiled at 1pm. Samuel Perea’s showcooking follows at 1.30pm beside the park gazebo, with 2026 bowl sales and tastings starting then.

The Kalima orchestra kicks off music at 2pm, followed by Long Play versions, the Infinity Show at 11pm, a reggaeton tribute, Infinity’s return at 3.30am, and DJ Javi Domínguez closes the fun festivities.

Excellent news for the southern coast of Spain, but a questionable situation for the European carmaking industry. Noatum Automotive has unloaded more than 5,000 Chinese vehicles at the Port of Motril since March and now plans for 40,000 units a year once a 15-year contract is granted.

Port gains bring jobs to Costa Tropical

Noatum Automotive chose Motril for Chinese-origin cars. First ship arrived in March with 2,000 units. Latest delivery brought 2,300 vehicles aboard the new BYD SHENZHEN car-carrier operated by China Merchants. All cars are new and headed for Spain and Portugal. Vehicles sit on the Azucenas quay next to wind turbine blades. The Port Authority is processing a 15-year contract that will let Noatum build a technical repair centre and add preparation services. Three Ro-Ro ramps and large storage areas already support the traffic. Direct links to the A-44 and Mediterranean A-7 give competitive road times. The company runs its own trucks and drivers for door-to-door delivery across the south.

Chinese brands grow share across Europe

Chinese companies including BYD, Chery, SAIC and others reached roughly 10 to 11 per cent of the European car market in the first half of 2026. BYD matched Tesla in volume and led plug-in hybrid sales in several countries, including Spain. EU tariffs reduced the share of China-made pure electric cars but Chinese brands continued expanding imports. Many models are still around 21 per cent cheaper than comparable European vehicles. Some Chinese firms now plan or run production inside Spain, Hungary and Turkey to ease tariff costs.

Traditional industry feels the strain

Volkswagen prepares plans that could cut up to 100,000 jobs and close or shrink several German plants. European suppliers have already announced tens of thousands of losses. Overcapacity and lower-priced Chinese models undercut European makers  on price as they lose ground both at home and in China. Consumers can now get more affordable electric and hybrid options. Local ports and some Spanish factories are gaining activity, yet the wider European car industry confronts deeper restructuring to stay competitive.

Motril’s rising vehicle traffic offers clear local benefits in jobs and port income while the same Chinese imports accelerate change across Europe’s long-established automotive sector.